Lessons
by homesweethomicide13
Summary: Lief goes to Barda for some advice, and ends up getting a lesson. Hinted BardaLief Slash.
1. Lief's Lesson

**Title:** Lief's Lesson

**Author:** homesweethomicide13

**Rating: **T

**Pairing:** Hinted Lief/Barda

**Warnings:** Slash (Boy x Boy)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters. I simply own the plot.

**Summary:** Lief goes to Barda for some advice, and ends up getting a lesson.

* * *

**Lief's Lesson**

* * *

Barda sat back in his chair and frowned over the report in front of him. He rubbed his hand over his forehead and sighed. He glanced over at the pile of unmarked reports at the edge of the desk, and dropped his head onto the table with a dull _thunk_. He hadn't realized how difficult being Chief was. The teachers at the Palace Guard Academy liked to dump their students' reports upon him. And if he was completely honest, he was fed up with grading papers from twelve-year-old hotheads. 

He glared down at the paper he was currently marking and sighed again. This kid clearly had no idea what he was talking about. Most of the questions had already been crossed, and there was no way he was going to pass. Setting it to one side, he lifted the next one. And dropped his head to the table again. The future for the palace guards certainly wasn't looking bright. And so he was glad when a distraction came.

The door to his room opened slightly, and Lief poked his head around it, smiling nervously. Barda turned to him and smiled back.

"Hey, um… I was going to ask you to help me with something, but if you're busy…" Lief trailed off, looking at the huge stack of papers on Barda's desk.

"No, no. I can take a break." He replied. "Believe me, a break from this is a luxury." Lief tried to laugh, but found that it came out rather strangled. Barda gave him a weird look, but beckoned him in anyway. Lief stepped into the room and closed the door, before walking over and taking a seat next to Barda. "So, what is it that you want?"

"Well… I wanted some advice actually." Barda's shock was evident.

"Advice? On what?" Lief blushed, to Barda's amusement. He stared down at the table, and took a deep breath.

"Well, you're a man…"

"I was last time I checked." Barda cut in with a laugh. His plan had worked – Lief seemed to relax, and even grinned. He looked up at Barda as he continued.

"And no doubt you've had experience with, um… women." Barda couldn't hold back his grin.

"You want advice on women? Why'd you come to me?" He was genuinely curious. Of course, Lief couldn't go to his father, and he assumed that going to his mother would be embarrassing… but still, why him?

"Because… I see you as like, my older brother or something, and brothers always talk to each other about this sort of thing, right?" Barda smiled. He was touched that Lief saw him as an older brother. When the two had first met officially on the way to the Forests Of Silence, they'd had nothing in common and rarely spoke unless it was to do with the quest. To go from that, to brothers, was a big step.

"That's right." He agreed. "So… what do you want to know?" Lief blushed again.

"I… let me explain. I was with Jasmine earlier, and she… she wanted me to kiss her, I think. But… I refused, made up an excuse." He paused and rubbed the bridge of his nose nervously. "I did that cause… well, I don't really know how to, not properly anyway, and I was hoping you could…"

"Help you?" Barda chuckled. "And what makes you think I know?" He teased. Lief looked up at him, not knowing how to respond.

"Well, I just… I…" Barda put a hand on Lief's shoulder and grinned.

"Relax, Lief. I was teasing." He flicked his hair out of his eyes casually. "Of course I'll help you. What exactly is it you want me to do?"

"Um… well, I don't know how to start the kiss, and I don't know how to… well, do it properly… and I don't know where to put my hands and stuff." At this point, Barda really did feel like a brother. _But,_ he thought,_ brothers don't find their younger siblings attractive, do they?_ Forcing that out of his mind, he leant back once more in his chair and smiled.

"Well I can help you in that department, Lief. I think Sharn is the only other who knows of my history with women. I'm not as withdrawn as people think I am." He ran a hand through his unruly hair and pondered on how to explain it. "This… may be difficult to explain, though…"

"Maybe you could… I don't know… show me?" Lief tried not to sound hopeful. That would ruin his plan, and he might never be able to face Barda again. He watched with slight disappointment, and horror, when Barda raised his eyebrows and stared at Lief as if he'd grown an extra head. But then his expression eased into a smile.

"You want me to show you? Are you sure?" There was a hint of amusement in his voice, and Lief tried not to blush again.

"Yeah… I know it'll be weird but… you're the only one I can trust with this, and it is the easiest way…" He hoped he had been convincing enough.

"Alright, sure." Lief met Barda's eyes, trying to mask his surprise. He'd never imagined that Barda would actually agree to his suggestion. "So… I believe the first thing you were unsure about was starting the kiss, right?" Lief nodded. "Okay… well, first of all, you've got to kind of… show them that you want to kiss them. You with me so far?" Again, Lief nodded. "So… uh, kinda… like this…" Lief's heart raced as Barda leant in towards him. He placed his right hand against Lief's neck, and his left took hold of Lief's arm. "And then you… well, kiss them…" Barda's voice had dropped to a whisper, and it sent shivers down Lief's spine.

"Show me," He managed to choke out. Slowly, very slowly, a pair of lips pressed against Lief's, and he drew in a sharp breath. This was nothing like he'd ever imagined. It was so much better. It was over far too soon for Lief's liking, and Barda pulled back, dropping both his hands and avoiding Lief's eyes. Lief panicked, thinking that he would go no further. He _had_ to finish this. There was no way he was leaving now.

"As for kissing someone properly…" Lief's panic disappeared in a second. Barda turned back to him, smiling nervously. "This is the hardest part to explain, so I guess I'll just have to… well, show you… and hope you pick up on it…" His heart skipped several beats when Barda moved closer once more, the hand once again returning to his neck. Lief was suddenly aware that Barda's chair was a lot closer than it had been, and realized that the big man had shifted closer while he had been panicking.

And then the lips were back, softly caressing his own, sweet and golden. He closed his eyes in bliss, his hands slowly circling around Barda's back. One hand found its way to the back of Barda's neck, pulling him in closer, fingers tangled in the growing black hair. The other clutched at his waist, giving Barda a silent message to go further. The hand on his neck shifted to the back of his head, and the hand on his arm lowered, grasping his hand and pulling it from his waist, fingers linking with his own.

Barda's tongue ran across his bottom lip, and Lief gasped, parting his lips enough to grant him entry. As their tongues danced, Lief shifted closer to Barda, tightening his grip on the man's hand. Withdrawing his tongue, Barda bit down gently on Lief's lower lip, eliciting several gasps from the boy. The hand on the back of his neck pulled him in further as Lief forced his lips back upon his, needy and demanding. A voice in the back of his mind told him to stop before it went too far, but Barda ignored it, revelling in the one moment he was going to get to openly show what he really felt for the young King.

They parted for air, both gasping, foreheads pressed together. Lief did not remove his hand from Barda's neck, nor did he let go of his hand. Their eyes met, and Lief blushed, knowing that the longing and desire was reflected in his eyes.

"I don't think you need any help on the third subject." Barda whispered. "You know exactly where to put your hands." Lief's blush increased, spreading over his cheeks and his nose. He licked his kiss-bruised lips and lowered his eyes to Barda's mouth, in a similar state to his own.

"Thank you," He breathed. They sat there in silence, neither wanting to let go of the other, but both knowing they had to. Finally, and reluctantly, Barda let go of Lief's hand and lowered his other hand from his head, turning away from the boy to hide his disappointment. Lief lowered his other hand and sat watching Barda for a moment, before standing up. He stepped up beside Barda, and placed a hand on the man's face, turning it so he could look at him. "I meant it." And before Barda could respond, he'd lowered his head and placed a soft, sweet kiss on Barda's lips. Then, he turned and left the room, leaving Barda to wonder whether he'd meant the thank you, or the kiss.

On the other side of the door, Lief smiled and brought his hand to touch his lips, remembering the feel of another pair upon his own.

He only hoped that Barda did not realize that his story about Jasmine wasn't true.


	2. Jasmine's Lesson

**Title:** Jasmine's Lesson

**Author:** homesweethomicide13

**Rating: **T

**Pairing:** Lief/Barda

**Warnings:** Slash (Boy x Boy)

**Disclaimer:** I do not own any of these characters. I simply own the plot.

**Summary:** Jasmine learns a few things about her two best friends.

_Author's Note: This was originally a one-shot, but I had to add to it. This is the second chapter, and there is at least one more to come. Maybe more, depending on whether or not I can think of more 'lessons'. _

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**Jasmine's Lesson**

* * *

Jasmine entered the library, intent on continuing her reading lessons. She had been teaching herself more and more these days, since Lief seemed to be occupied with other things. Still, she preferred to do it on her own – she hated depending on other people to do things for her, and she was getting better each day. Soon enough, she'd be able to read some of the larger, more adult books, instead of the small children's books she had been learning from. 

When she walked through the library door, and said a quick hello to Marilen, she noticed that she would not be alone. Lief was sat at one of the tables, a book in front of him. But it was clear to her that he was not reading. There was a daft smile on his face, and every so often he'd keep touching his lips. Curious, she picked up her current book – an old favourite of Barda's, she'd learnt – and went to sit with him.

"Lief," She smiled. "I haven't seen you all day. How are you?" He glanced at her with a dazed expression and grinned.

"Great. Absolutely great." He responded. She stole a glance at his book and smiled. It seemed as though she was not the only one reading books Barda had enjoyed when he was young.

"That's good news." She didn't know why he was suddenly so cheery, but something told her it was best not to ask. And, like always, her curiosity got the better of her, and she turned to him again. "What's gotten you so happy?" Wordlessly, Lief touched his lips again. Jasmine frowned. "Well?"

"Love." He whispered the word without thinking. He clapped his hand over his mouth and stared at Jasmine, who was incredibly surprised.

"You're in love? With who? Is she nice?" Jasmine held back the bitterness she knew was fighting its way to the top. She hated the thought of Lief loving another girl. Lief, on the other hand, was amused that Jasmine had naturally assumed it was a girl he was in love with.

No one could possibly mistake Barda for a girl.

"My love is wonderful. I look forward to the moments when we are together, and long for that loving touch only they can give me…" He whispered, half to himself. "But… they do not love me. They never will." His smile faded and sorrow gripped at his heart. Jasmine placed a hand over Lief's and vowed that she would find out who it was that Lief was in love with, and severely hurt them. No one, and she meant no one, made her Lief upset, and got away with it.

They both looked up sharply when the door swung open, and another familiar face walked in, grinning. Jasmine smiled back, not noticing Lief's expression change from one of sorrow, to one of joy.

"Barda! What brings you here?" Jasmine asked him as he approached. She eyed the stack of papers he was carrying in one hand curiously.

"You haven't, by some chance, seen McAlester around somewhere?" He asked them, frowning slightly. McAlester was the head of the Academy, and Barda was very intent on dumping the graded papers upon him.

"No, I haven't. Why?" Jasmine watched as he placed the papers down onto the table and slumped into a chair. His head followed the direction the papers had taken. Jasmine laughed and patted the back of Barda's head sympathetically.

"He's nowhere to be seen." Barda growled. "No one has had sight nor sound of him, and it's driving me insane! Where could that brat be hiding?" Jasmine laughed again, and looked at Lief for the first time since Barda's entry. His eyes with shining, and there was the daft smile back on his face. Jasmine thought he looked as though his one true love had just walked in.

Jasmine stopped dead. Lief was staring straight at Barda. Suddenly everything made sense. The book in front of him, the daft smiles, the touching of his lips, the way he had not answered who his love was, and had not specified in his answer whether 'they' were male or female. And she knew why Lief had said that his love would never love him back. She looked at Barda, wondering if he knew of Lief's feelings or not. She was torn between telling him anyway, and keeping it to herself.

The door opened again and a young boy walked in. He was panting, his cheeks flushed and his chest heaving. Clearly he had been running. Jasmine did not recognize the boy, but she recognized the pale blue headband, and the sword at his side. The boy belonged to the Academy. There was a paper in his hand, and he walked over to Barda.

"Chief, I was sent to give you this." Barda reached out without lifting his head from the table, and the boy put the paper in his hand. "I apologize for its late arrival, but I got distracted with my training and forgot to turn up for the test. McAlester has just made me take it now, and told me to bring you my paper, so you can –," He was cut off by the string of muttered curses coming from Barda's mouth. He lifted his head and glared at the boy.

"Name?" He asked, though it was more of an order than anything else.

"D-Davie Y-Young, sir." The boy stammered, wilting under Barda's glare. Barda scowled.

"Well then, Davie. The next time you don't turn up for a test, I shall tell McAlester to fail you completely. I don't have the time for late papers, and McAlester does not have the time to chase up little boys who don't turn up for important tests." He growled, and Davie bowed his head. "You're lucky I'm in a good mood, else I'd tear up this paper and you'd be out of the Academy. On your way." Davie scrambled from the room, and only once the door had closed behind him did Barda turn and grin at his two friends. "I do love the power this position brings." Lief and Jasmine both laughed.

"Would you really have torn up his paper?" Jasmine questioned, surprised that even Barda would do such a thing. Barda grinned again.

"No. But it's fun to frighten twelve-year-old boys. They sometimes squeal like girls. It's ever so entertaining." Barda glanced over the paper and frowned. "And it would have been a shame. This kid actually looks pretty smart." He glared at the neatly stacked pile beside him. "Unlike most of his comrades." He stood up and picked up the large stack. "Now, I have to go and find McAlester and give him these papers. I hope he gets a paper cut." Barda growled, causing both of them to laugh again. He raised a hand in farewell and left the library.

Jasmine turned to Lief, who was staring at the closed door with a hopeful expression on his face. _He is hoping that Barda will come back._ Jasmine thought. Smiling, she waved her hand in front of his face and laughed slightly when he jumped back into reality.

"I know you like him, Lief." She whispered, so no one else would hear their conversation. His eyes widened and he gaped at her.

"W-what?"

"You like him. I can see it in your face, and in your eyes. Don't worry, I'm not going to hate you for it." She smiled brightly. "I think it's rather cute, actually."

"You support it? I thought you would…" Lief shook his head in disbelief. "It doesn't matter though. Barda will never love me." He smiled. "However, I did get the most amazing kiss out of him…"

"What?" Jasmine exclaimed. Lief grinned.

"Well, you see…"

* * *

Barda slumped into his chair once more and leant forward, resting his elbows on the desk, and balancing his forehead in his hands. He had seen the way Lief had looked at him earlier, in the library, and he was confused. Why was Lief looking at him like that? Was there any way he could… no, he couldn't. Could he? 

"Don't be stupid Barda." He muttered to himself. "He's a young man, why would he care for someone like me?" He didn't look up when someone knocked on his door. Instead, he just closed his eyes. "Yeah, what?" He didn't care if he sounded rude; he was really not in the mood to deal with anyone right now. And, despite his hopes, he knew that it would not be Lief on the other side of the door. What would he want with him? Nothing.

"Barda? It's Jasmine. Can I come in?" Sighing, Barda knew he could not ignore her. She was just like her father – stubborn and determined. So he got up and swung open the door, letting her in.

"What?" He asked again, irritation clear in his voice. Jasmine motioned for him to close the door, and he did, not even flinching when it slammed closed.

"I need to talk to you about something." She stated. "It's about Lief." _Oh no… please don't say she's noticed!_

"Oh?" He tried to keep his voice calm and steady, but he knew that it wasn't going to be easy to hide his nervousness.

"Yes." Jasmine looked him in the eyes. "He loves you." For a moment, Barda stopped breathing. His breath caught in his throat and refused to move, long enough for Barda to pale. He finally remembered that he had to breathe to live, and lowered his eyes to the floor, unsure of what to say. "He's completely in love with you." She said, watching him. "And from what he told me, I believe you love him." Now Barda looked at her. She smiled. "No 'brother' kisses his younger sibling like that, Barda. Not even if he asked to. Lief may be stupid enough to see past it, but I'm not. And judging from that nice blush you're sporting, I can safely assume that I'm right."

Barda was unaware that he had been blushing, and he turned away from her, staring at the door. Did Lief really love him? He couldn't! It didn't work like that! Jasmine put her hand on his arm and he turned to look at her once again. She was smiling.

"Does he really..?" He didn't need to finish the question. Jasmine nodded.

"He's in the library still. Go and talk to him." Barda nodded and left the room, leaving Jasmine to stand there and smile, proud of what she had achieved. The moment Lief had told her about his 'lesson', she knew that Barda felt the same way about Lief as Lief did about him. She'd learnt a lot about her two best friends, and she was happy for them – which was strange, since she usually wanted to murder whoever Lief fell in love with.

Then again, she'd always said Lief could never love another girl. She'd never said anything about a man.

* * *

"Lief?" Lief looked up, and saw Barda standing in the doorway to the library, looking rather nervous. He glanced quickly over at the next table, where Sharn and Doom were studying a book, and discussing its contents. He beckoned Barda over, who avoided the curious stares of those on the other table, and took a seat beside Lief. 

"Are you okay Barda?" He asked, concerned. Barda was _never_ nervous.

"Lief… Jasmine told me…" He paused, but he didn't need to go on. Lief blushed furiously and looked away from him.

"I'm sorry Barda, I guess you hate me now and I –," He was cut short by the now familiar pair of lips against his own. Barda pulled back and smiled, very much aware of the two pairs of eyes watching him and Lief with amazement, and shock.

"I love you too."


End file.
